Knowledge to make your life better. If you have some free time, check out some of these links this weekend.
Explaining The Need To Carry Spare Ammo
Massad Ayoob discusses his philosophy on carrying spare ammo.
It’s Not Your Dumb Hand – Weak Hand Work
Erick shares some tips for optimal weak hand only firearm drawing, shooting, and manipulation. On the topic of shooting “wrong handed,” you might also like Massad Ayoob’s article titled Can You Shoot Your 1911 Backwards?
Handgun Ergonomics – Notes from KR
You more astute readers might recognize that I posted this article in my Tac Con recap article Wednesday. The information contained therein is so important that I wanted to share it again here as well.
Also on the topic of gun fit, you may enjoy Finding the Right Fit: What Every Woman Should Know About Choosing and Shooting a Firearm.
Aggressive Dogs: The Utility of Sticks v Guns
This advice echoes my personal experience. In my police career, I had to respond to two different incidents where dogs were actually attacking humans or other pets. In both of them, I deployed my ASP baton. The first pair of aggressive dogs ran off as soon as I opened the baton. In the second case, I had to hit a dog who was chewing on a jogger. One strike caused the dog to run away.
Situational Awareness
Last week I wrote an article about how “Keep your Head on a Swivel” was bad advice. If you missed it, it’s worth checking out. The article linked above is what partially inspired my piece. You’ll also want to read Situational Awareness, part 2. Both contain very actionable advice.
El Rey Sol by Mike Boyle*
A great shooting drill from Mike Boyle. While designed primarily for revolvers, you can run this one with any handgun. For a pocket pistol/revolver drill, try Dos Atracadores (Two Robbers).
Need a rifle drill? Try Skills Check: Rifle Standard Gold.
What I’m reading…
6 Concealed-Carry Tips You Need to Know
Good advice for concealed carriers. Want better advice? Don’t carry in the small of your back.
Slide Lever vs. Racking the Slide
Over the years, I have become far less dogmatic about the “best” way to drop the slide on a reload. Tatiana shares a well thought out experiential methodology for seeing what works best for the individual shooter.
A Shooter’s review of the Manurhin MR 73
Curious about the Manhurin MR73? Here is your resource for information. While you are there, check out the site’s research on the .327 caliber as well.
The Secrets of Life, and the young Firearms Instructor – A letter to my friend, the Captain
Solid advice for the police firearms instructor. From the same site, you might also like Don’t Be a Dummy – Why the ‘Ball and Dummy’ Drill is a Helpful Tool and Other Thoughts.
Sex and Guns: Safer not Safe
Dr. Yamane offers a useful analogy.
The Cycle of Crisis and Victory
Pay attention to this pattern when you consume both the traditional news and social media as well. The algorithm is programming you.
- “Optimism builds trust slowly
- Fear captures attention quickly
- Outrage drives engagement immediately
- Uncertainty keeps people refreshing for updates
For a creator dependent on clicks, views, or donations, the pressure to stay relevant is constant. The algorithm rewards intensity, not consistency. A calm, measured voice often loses to a dramatic one, even if the dramatic one contradicts itself week to week.”
Lake City Ammo Workers Go On Strike
In the past few knowledge dumps, I’ve posted articles encouraging you to stock up on ammo now while it is relatively cheap as experts predict future supply line problems. This won’t help anything.
1978 American Handgunner
A little history for you. Check out the full PDF copy of a 1978 vintage American Handgunner magazine. For an additional history lesson, read The legal history of bans on firearms and Bowie knives before 1900.
Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation
Speaking of history, check out this YouTube channel where they are posting lots of Jeff Cooper’s teaching.
The Spring Shooting Reset You Know You Need
If you haven’t shot all winter, you can expect some of the skill degradation described in this article. What the article doesn’t cover is the fact that the more myelinatated you have made these motor pathways, the less skill degradation you will experience. For a more thorough explanation, read my article about what happened when I didn’t shoot or dry fire for 10 weeks.
Best Knife Steel Comparison and Charts
For you knife nerds.
Samuel Reineberg – They Eliminated an Active Shooter in 4 Minutes | SRS #295
If you are interested in active killers, terrorism, knife fighting, and close quarters combat, you should watch/listen to this one. It’s an interview of one of the ROTC cadets who helped to kill a terrorist who burst into his college classroom and shot the professor last month. Interesting things to note:
– The killer used a Glock 44 .22 pistol stolen from a gun owner’s car
– Several of the cadets intentionally took the slide out of battery to stop the gun from firing
-One cadet used a 2″-3″ blade folding knife to stab the terrorist “a lot and everywhere.”
– Samuel actually popped the terrorist’s eye from the socket with an eye gouge during the fight
– Belts make shitty tourniquets
– The terrorist had been released from prison (for providing material resources to ISIS) early into a drug abuse halfway house despite no history of drug use
Listen to this one.
Quote to ponder (especially after listening to the podcast above):
“Official sanction for radical departures is seldom given. Fortunately, heroes seldom ask permission from authorities. In their foolishness, they do not know the limits of the possible, so they screw up their courage, shoulder their doubts, and start down the path.”
– Sam Keene
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